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Sexual predators within the family || Acharya Prashant (2022)
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1 year ago
Human Consciousness
Exploitation
Childhood Trauma
Responsibility
Spirituality
Vedanta
Cruelty
Consumerism
Description

Acharya Prashant addresses the question by first acknowledging that it is good the questioner realizes her problem is not limited or particular to her, but is a widespread phenomenon that afflicts many others. He advises her to broaden this understanding, as this issue affects millions of children and teens. He explains that once this is realized, two things happen. Firstly, the sense of having been personally assaulted diminishes greatly, as one sees it as a general phenomenon rather than a personal event, which reduces the internal hurt. Secondly, a solid sense of responsibility arises to do something about it, not just for oneself but for all who suffer. Since the problem is general, the action to address it must also be general in nature. To do this, one must identify the root of the problem, which is not just a family issue but a deeper issue of what makes a human being do such a thing to another. The speaker points out the paradox that despite being more prosperous and educated than ever, humanity is still plagued by such cruelty. He attributes this to the corruption of human consciousness, which is fostered by a civilization that promotes pleasure and happiness as the ultimate goal. This leads to a consumerist and exploitative mindset, where one is prepared to pay any price for happiness. The speaker connects this exploitative tendency to other forms of cruelty, such as the slaughter of billions of animals for human consumption. He argues that the tendency to exploit is the same, whether directed at a vulnerable child or an animal, stating, "flesh is flesh." He asserts that we are all rapists in a sense, driven by a deep-seated tendency for exploitation. The fundamental problem, he says, is the corruption of human consciousness, and the solution lies in spiritual education. He emphasizes that we are born as animals and must be made human through wisdom literature like Vedanta and the Upanishads. Acharya Prashant concludes by stating that every act of cruelty and ignorance one witnesses should harden one's resolve and create a sense of urgency. He encourages the questioner to see these events as a call to work harder and be more ferocious in the battle against such corruption. He advises not to hold anything back, as time is running out. The problem, he explains, arises not from lax laws but from the corruption of human consciousness itself, and the only way to address it is through a spiritual education that teaches one to care for something beyond personal pleasure and happiness.